These cocktails are as much fun to drink as they are to say. Tony Oltranti adds freshly squeezed orange juice to a traditional Italian aperitif and serves it straight up in a chilled Martini glass. Salute!

Store-bought panettone is the foundation of this raisin and bread pudding. Because the bread is so eggy, it bakes into an extra-silky custard that contrasts with a generous expanse of buttery golden brown crispness on top. (Using a shallow pan is key.)

Anna Di Bene, Oltranti's grandmother, never let anything go to waste in her kitchen in Lucca, Italy. Whenever she cooked chicken, she saved the livers for this delicious antipasto. Spicy red-pepper flakes and salty capers cut through the richness of the topping.

Oltranti doesn't consider himself a baker, but he should. We all agree that his biscotti are among the best weve had. Starting with a lot of almonds in a sticky dough, his recipe produces crunchy cookies that taste even better a day or two later—if they last that long.

Oltranti and his family prepare this dish with rabbit, but it's equally appealing with chicken. Roasted with super-savory pancetta and olives, the garlicky meat stays moist in a shallow bath of white wine.

This refreshing salad serves as a palate cleanser before dessert. Oltranti updates a traditional Italian-style salad dressing with the modern flavors of California cuisine: Floral Meyer lemon amplifies the acidity of red-wine vinegar in a bright shallot vinaigrette.